Fly
by Yugao
Summary: They flew together, the caged bird and the one with the broken wing.  [NejiTenten]


_**Fly**_

_**Yugao**_

_**Summary: **_They flew together, the caged bird and the one with the broken wing.

_**Author's Note: **_Whoo God. I know I haven't been here for forever, but I hope you didn't miss me too much! This one is in a response to a request from Katrina, sorry it took so long and I hope you don't mind. I got the inspiration for this a few weeks ago, at my cousin's wedding, when a little kid said, "Upod lang ta lupad-lupad (Let's fly together)." Please read and review, I hope you enjoy this NejiTenten one-shot. To save you from any misunderstanding, the ones set in italics in the middle of a paragraph are thoughts, whereas a whole paragraph italicized is a flashback. Thanks.

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Naruto.

* * *

The wind moved mercilessly through the trees, between the boughs and branches, and among the leaves around the treetops. The slight drizzle that had come down earlier was beginning to look like a full-fledged storm. He looked up, not quite caring that the rain drenched his face and trickled down his cheek; the sun was not to be seen, since large black clouds blotted out the rest of the sky. She ran alongside him, her face determined not to be afraid, but he knew that more than anything else, she was. His pallid eyes closed, and for a while he was silent, listening, waiting. He heard the rain, he heard his breathing, he heard her breathing, he heard their hearts beat together.

And then he heard that first telltale nuance in the wind.

"Tenten!" he called out.

* * *

"Neji," she said, not in panic or distress, but with a keen understanding of what he meant and what was to come. Her hands reached for the small shuriken in her pocket, and he watched her as they did. How ironic that the very things they used to wish upon when they were children were now, to them, a grim reminder of what must be done. His lips curled upward in a slight, almost unnoticeable smile at her acceptance of their fate.

It was then that he heard the rustle of the leaves, the sound of metal cutting rain and air. Almost instinctively, he dodged it - he supposed she heard it too, because she also moved safely away. Side by side they stood, weapons at the ready, soaked in rainwater and awaiting their enemy. At that moment, as in many others, they were two pieces of a whole.

They revealed themselves. Three - all of them masked, but no amount of clothing or armor could hide their muscular forms, the malice in their eyes, and the morbid glimmer of their long, slim swords. They seemed learned in the art of taking lives, and Neji didn't need his Byakugan to see that. He cast her a sidelong glance, meeting her eyes for one fleeting, evanescent second; when he saw the determination, the understanding of what was to come, in her eyes, he knew he needn't say any more.

* * *

As the first of the enemy stepped forward towards Tenten, he resisted the urge to step in the way to help her. He knew she was more than capable; she had grown so much from when he first knew her, when she was still a little girl. She was stronger now, faster, more skillful. He trusted her to keep herself safe. When he heard the man's steel met the metal chain separating Tenten's nunchaku, Neji knew without looking that the battle had begun.

He took on the other two, fighting them off with his learned expertise. They were armed, he was not; it did not matter. He knew that as long as she was there, the battle was to be a fair one. Two against three though it was, she was all he needed. He smiled as he readied his stance, easily dodging the first few attacks. _They underestimate us, _he thought as he looked over at Tenten, whose fight with the tall man seemed easier than one of their normal spars with Lee and Gai-sensei.

_Soon they'll find we're not to be underestimated, _he thought as he drew back his hand to send a Gentle Fist through one of them.

* * *

The men soon caught on that they were not ordinary travelers, nor were they on par with other ninja-in-training. Their expressions shifted from amusement to unbridled anger, and their moves had begun to take on even more ferocity than they had previously held. Several times their blades came dangerously close to him, and he wasn't always able to keep their swords at bay. One man had brandished his katana towards him while he had tried to fight off the other, and when he realized it, it was too late. It was a shallow but long gash across his back, and the pain coursed through him like lightning. The rain mingled with his blood and trickled down his back.

But he did not know the meaning of giving up.

Fueled by his own anger, he activated his Byakugan. He wouldn't dare let them win. No, not while she was watching, fighting alongside him, counting on him to win.

* * *

"Tenten," was the almost inaudible whisper in his voice. He shuddered in the cold of the rain, and in the clarity of the memories that had come back to him as he defeated his opponents. They lay on the ground, cold, lifeless, dead. He closed his eyes - the enormity of what he had done gripped him. He needed to hear her voice. Her movement. Her heartbeat. Anything. His own heart raced, and he didn't want to turn around, for fear of what he would come to see.

But he did. He turned around, and between the raindrops and the tree branches lay his childhood friend, his teammate, his best friend.

Tenten.

His eyes widened as he rushed to her side, and a quick glance told him a few bones had been broken. Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, but the bright red trickle was sallowed by the rain that was falling. Neji grasped her by the arms, careful to be gentle, and tried to shake her awake - but she was limp and motionless in his grip. Then, slowly, he said louder, "Tenten."

* * *

Tenten opened her eyes, weakly, slightly. "Neji..." she said quietly. She held on to him tightly. "Let's fly... together."

"L-let's go, then," he replied shakily. He scooped her up, and headed towards Konoha with her still in his arms.

_**Author's Note: **_This was rushed. Is it that obvious? I'm sorry... please review, anyway. Thanks, loves.


End file.
